Nursing container



-June 26, 1951 M. s. PEARL NURSING CONTAINER Filed Aug. 15, 1949INVENTOR: o'rz'mz S. Pearl ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 26, 1951 NURSING CONTAINER Morton S. Pearl, Lancaster,Pa., assigner of lifty per cent to Leonard Mirsky Application August 13,1949, Serial No. 110,063

(Cl. 21S-11') 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a uid container, and more particularly to asanitary disposable container for the transportation, sterilization anddispensing of infant feeding iluids.

In the feeding of milk and other iiuids to infants in accordance withcurrently available techniques, considerable handling and rehandling ofthe fluid is undertaken prior to the consumption of the iiud by theinfant. Infants milk, for example, is delivered to the home in variousforms of containers. In the home, the milk is frequently transferredfrom its original bottle or can to a mixing container for mixing it withadditional ingredients to produce the desired formula in accordance withthe prescription of a physician. The restutant formula is thentransferred to a nursing bottle and heated for feeding to the infant.This procedure is objectionable in that it requires the performance oftedious transfer operations and subjects the feeding fluid to thedeleterious eiect of germs and other organisms detrimental to the healthof the infant. While the foregoing objection might be overcome by usingthe original container customarily provided by a dairy, or by adistributor of evaporated milk, for feeding the infant, the containersheretofore available have been relatively bulky and expensive to makeand of such character that they are not adapted to be used either forthe mixing of the ingredients of a formula, or for the application of anipple whereby the container may be used for direct feeding to the mouthof an infant. Moreover, other forms of containers are relatively fragileand are not Well adapted for holding fluid during heating andsterilizing operations since the containers tend to crack, rupture orbreak When subjected to sudden temperature changes or to internalpressures.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide adisposable container for infants feeding fluids which is inexpensive tomanufacture and which is suitable vfor all of the operations involved,including the original packaging of the basic ingredient, the mixturetherewith of additional ingredients, heating or cooling of the same, andnal use as a nursing bottle to which a nipple can be readily applied.Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary container forinfants feeding fluids which is cf light Weight and inexpensive materialbut of sufficient strength to remain intact when the container and `thefluid contained therein are heated. Further objects .and advantages ofthe invention and the means for carrying them into effect Will appearfrom the description of an embodiment of the invention which followshereinafter, havingr reference to the accompanying drawings, whereof: V

Fig. l is a perspective View of a disposable fluid container of thisinvention in the form which it assumes originally as a package for thetransportation of milk;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fluid container of this inventionshowing the same in the form which it assumes when a feeding nipple hasbeen applied to the top of the container in substitution for theoriginal removable cap;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of thecontainer and nipple shown in Fig. 3.

With reference to Figs. l and 2, the illustrated embodiment of theinvention comprises a Acylin-y drical container having a metal bottom Iland an upwardly extending translucent side wall t2 enclosing a space forcontaining a fluid. Extending around the periphery of the bottom is anannular recess i3 which is adapted for the accommodation of thecylindrical wall I2 which may be sealed thereto by waterproof glue orthe like. The cylindrical wall l2 comprises an outer layer I4 and innerlayer l5 of transparent celluloseimpregnated cardboard.

Layers lli and l5 are each composed of a continuously wound spiral ofcardboard strip in which the lower edge of each successive winding is incontact with the upper edge of the previous winding. The completed outerand inner laminations are accordingly substantially cylindrical anddivided along spiral or helical dividing lines I6 and il' respectively.The side Wall layers are conveniently constructed by cutting out flatsheets `of paper or cardboard to 4forni strips of suitable shape andWinding the cardboard strips successively around a mandrel. The helicaldividing line I6 of one strip is preferably spaced from and free ofcontact with dividing line il of the other strip, thereby attainingoptimum fluid retention and side Wall strength. The outside surface ofthe side Wall is suitably graduated to indicate by visual inspection theamount of fluid present in the container. Alxed to the top of thecylindrical Wall I2 is a metal rim I8 which comprises a turned over edgeI9, a cylindrical portion 29 depending downwardly from the edge i9, andan inwardly directed flange 2i which is substantially horizontal and isadapted to receive and retain a flexible disc-shaped cap 22. Flange 2land the cylindrical portion 2e of the rim i8 lform a seat for snuglyaccommodating the cap 22 which is suitably shaped for frictional contactwith the rim, thus providing an initial waterproof closure. Preferablythe removable cap 22 comprises a pair of rings 23 of impregnatedcardboard witha rubber or flexible disc-shaped element 24 securedbetween such cardboard rings and disposed across the top of thecontainer to provide a flexible Waterproof closure which serves as adiaphragm permitting expansion of the contents without bursting thecontainer. The upper cardboard ring 23 is provided with a tab 2% forconvenient removal of the flexible cover. The side wall I2 and rim i8are sealed together to form a unitary structure by cementing theadjacent edges and surfaces with a waterproof glue or the like.

With reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the disposablecontainer of this invention is shown in the form which it assumes whenprovided with a flexible feeding nipple 2t of rubber or the like. Nipple26 comprises an upper orioed fluid dispensing section of relativelysmall diameter with a relatively thin wall and a lower section flaringoutwardly and downwardly and of greater wall thickness. The lowersection of nipple 26 includes a flexible element 2l for frictionalcontact with the outer surface of cylindrical wall l2, and a flexibleinner element 28 extending downwardly and outwardly. The inner dependingelement 28 is spaced from the outer element 27 to form a recess snuglyaccommodating metal rim I3. Flexible flange 29 of nipple 26 is adaptedto snap under and detachably interlock with flange 2| of rim I8. Theupper surface of flange 29 is in contact with the under surface offlange 2l when the surface at the top of the recess is in contact withthe top of the metal rim I8.

While suitable container walls according to this invention may beconstructed of fibrous materials such as paper or cardboard impregnatedWith wax or the like, it is preferred in practicing my invention toimpregnate the container walls with ethyl cellulose or nitro celluloseto give enhanced strength and fluid retentivity. This is preferablyaccomplished by dissolving the desired oellulosic ingredient in asolvent which may consist of benzene, toluene, xylene or a suitableketone solvent such as acetone, methyl-ethyl-ketone or the like. Thesolvent is mixed with an alcohol which is a co-solvent. Suitablealcohols for the purpose are methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropylalcohol, and similar volatile alcohols. Tri-cresol phosphate or othersuitable non-toxic plasticizers may be added to form the impregnativemix. A particularly desirable impregnating solution containsapproximately 2-20% ethyl cellulose, r1'2-89% toluol, and 8-10% volatilealcohol by weight.` The container is impregnated after assembly bysubmersion in the impregnating solution either at normal or suitablyincreased temperature or pressure. Upon removal of the container fromthe impregnating bath the solvents evaporate from the container,producing a container having side walls comprising a fibrous materialinterspersed with a cellulosic impregnant such as ethyl cellulose ornitro cellulose. The thus impregnated container is capable of holdingliquids for particularly long periods of time without substantialdeterioration of the container or the contents and is characterized bytranslucency and by a highly desirable resistance to physical shock andexternal stress.

It will be appreciated that my container with either of the alternativeclosures described and illustrated herein is particularly suited forheating the fluid contents thereof since the heating operation may becarried out when the container is entirely full without danger ofrupturing the 'side or end walls of the container. This is of advantagein the dairy and in the home. Evaporated milk, for example, isfrequently heated at the dairy while packaged within the sealedcontainer in order to attain terminal sterilization of the milk, andsuch milk is also desirably reheated in the home prior to feeding it tothe infant.

Although the fluid container of this invention has been described indetail with reference to a specific embodiment adapted for a particularpurpose, it will be readily apparent that the device has other uses,that the form of the container and its closure members may beconsiderably varied, and that equivalent structures and materials may beemployed for accomplishing the same result. Such obvious changes,including reversals of parts and the use of certain features of theinvention independently of other features are deemed to be within thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In combination, a container having an upwardly extending wall, areinforcing rim at the top of said wall, a ilange spaced below the topof said wall forming a seat within the container for reception of aremovable cap for sealing the container, and a resilient feeding nipplehaving a base portion surrounding and gripping the exterior surface atthe top of said container and including a flexible element extendingbelow the top of said wall and into the container for detachableinterlocking engagement with said flange.

2. In combination, a container having a curved upstanding wall forming aspace for accommodating a liquid, an annular reinforcing memberextending around the upper portion of said wall, an annular flangedepending from and spaced below said reinforcing member, said annularflange and reinforcing member forming a seat within the container forreception and retention of a removable cap for sealing the container,and a feeding nipple having a resilient base portion surrounding andgripping the exterior container surface and including a flexible flangeelement extending below the top of the container wall and into thecontainer for detachable interlocking vengagement with said annularflange.

3. In combination, a disposable fluid container having a bottom, aclosed upstanding Wall, a reinforcing rim inside the top of said wall, afixed annular flange depending from said rim and spaced below the top ofsaid wall forming a seat within the container for reception andretention of a removable cap, and a resilient feeding nipple having abase portion comprising inner and outer flexible depending walls with anannular recess interposed therebetween, said outer flexible dependingwall surrounding and resiliently gripping the upper portion of thecontainer wall, and said inner flexible depending wall carrying aresilient ange member adapted to snap under and thereby detachablyinterlock With said xed annular ange, when the top edge of the containeris fitted into said recess.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 further characterized by the factthat the upper surfacee of the resilient ange is in contact with thebottom surface of the xed flange when the top edge of the container isin contact with the body of the nipple at the top of said recess.

MORTON S. PEARL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number

